What was Japan’s official name for its August 15 day of remembrance, adopted in 1982?

Japan’s official name for its August 15 day of remembrance, adopted in 1982, is Day for Mourning of War Dead and Praying for Peace.

The name reflects Japan’s postwar emphasis on mourning those who died and expressing a commitment to peace. August 15 is commonly called the Memorial Day for the End of the War, or Shūsen-kinenbi, in everyday discussion, but that is not the government’s formal wording.

The date is connected to Emperor Hirohito’s recorded broadcast, which was heard by the Japanese public at noon on August 15, 1945. The legal surrender document was not signed until September 2 aboard USS Missouri.

Japan’s observance is not identical to the formal surrender date or to every country’s V-J Day. The United Kingdom generally commemorates August 15, while the United States has also used September 2 as its official date. These distinctions explain why several dates appear in historical references.